henrydedrick

question #1 Have I built this system? Well, General Motors did the hard part, but yes, I went to the pick n' pull, got the distributor guts from a later Celica (with the later breakerless setup) had lunch, went home, installed the parts in my 74's breaker-point distributor, walked over to my 1976 oldsmobile Cutlass, rummaged around in the glove compartment, got the module that I had long-ago replaced (thinking it was bad, it wasn't and I hung onto it) wired it up to the Toyota coil and ballast resistor like on the internet, from where all the other guys did. mounted the module on the fender with heat-sink compound. and it worked. Question #2 Yes, I ran the truck as a DD fixing photo labs all over south texas, no probs. (except with the weak-behind automatic I stuck myself with...)no more setting breaker points. AGAIN, my point is, if you're in east bumfuck AZ, and you think that your breakerless ignitor in your Toyota is bad, you have an alternative to the OEM ignitor, which may be expensive (not $15) and hard to get (because they didn't make 7,850,783 of them, like the General did)

question #1 Have I built this system? Well, General Motors did the hard part, but yes, I went to the pick n' pull, got the distributor guts from a later Celica (with the later breakerless setup) had lunch, went home, installed the parts in my 74's breaker-point distributor, walked over to my 1976 oldsmobile Cutlass, rummaged around in the glove compartment, got the module that I had long-ago replaced (thinking it was bad, it wasn't and I hung onto it) wired it up to the Toyota coil and ballast resistor like on the internet, from where all the other guys did. mounted the module on the fender with heat-sink compound. and it worked. Question #2 Yes, I ran the truck as a DD fixing photo labs all over south texas, no probs. (except with the weak-behind automatic I stuck myself with...)no more setting breaker points. AGAIN, my point is, if you're in east bumfuck AZ, and you think that your breakerless ignitor in your Toyota is bad, you have an alternative to the OEM ignitor, which may be expensive (not $15) and hard to get (because they didn't make 7,850,783 of them, like the General did)

you sound like you've done your homework, but my 75 Hilux disagrees. it uses the stock Toyota coil, with the resistor, and had been all over south Texas. That PDF I linked to has a mind-bending explanation of the GM HEI. I think it's halarious that Triumph did the same thing, but disguised it with a case, and a LUCAS part # and price $$$. Most of the value comes when you're in the Mohave in your Chinook with the igniter setup, and it no-starts. The local parts store is more likely to stock GM's module.

also, the wiring is available by googling images for "GM HEI wiring" and if you really, REALLY want to get into it... http://nebula.wsimg.com/5956cdbfbf7fc2e9bc4c33682dbb7427?AccessKeyId=967E22DE049163134A29&disposition=0&alloworigin=1

I've had a 74' and a 75 Hilux, the 74 is old-fashoned points & condenser, the 75 was a hybrid ignition, (had the ignitor mounted on the coil, but kept the points to trigger it) I got the electronic trigger (reluctor & pickup) from a late-70's Celicia, it's a direct, drop-in replacement for the breaker plate with the points/condenser. I didn't have the later (truly electronic) igniter, but I found a MUCH better substitute (see attached article). Most every GM car/truck from 75 to about 80 came with HEI (high energy electronic/breakerless ignition), that like a GAZILLION cars! The ignition module sits under the distributor cap on the V8's 2 screws and 4 terminals (later ones are the same, but have a 5th terminal for ignition timing retard, either should work) I mounted mine on the fenderwell near the distributor. the wiring's the same, you have to look-up the wiring in a GM manual and the GM module is compatable with Toys that use the ignitor, and probably easier to get when it dies in the boonies. it's like $15 at Rock Auto https://www.agriculture.com/machinery/repair-maintenance/checking-gms-high-energy-ignition-module-dwell

...now it's still functional, but lately I start it in N, and it surges forward like it's in drive, same in Park. Works ok in D. Dropped the valve body but didn't see any problem, haven't pulled out the valve spools yet.

I've adjusted both bands, but the throttle linkage just affects the throttle valve position, so I've left that locked in place so it shifts predictably (around 12 for 1-2, 35 for 2-3). there are various versions of the BW-35 that just have the front pump, but the Aisin-Warner A-30 for Toyota had a rear pump. I dropped the pan, dropped the rear band's servo, and it looked ok, o-ring ok, no cracks in the casting, was mounted securely. I don't know...

OK, so I've been expecting the trans in my Hilux (yes, it's the same drivetrain as in the Chinook) to go, and so I've been curious about why it's lasted so long, after obviously being damaged. If you dig into the docs for this unit, all the parts used in R, are also used in the various fwd gears. I've been going forward for years, how come? There's a Borg-Warner ancestor to this trans, I'm running from memory here, but I believe it's called the 35. It was notable for being an early automatic that was efficient enough to be used in lighter, less powerful cars in the late fifties/early sixties (?) mostly British and some models of the Rambler. (thanks, Wikipedia!) There's some discussions about restoring these cars, and in attending the the trans, there was a reference to a problem with the o-ring on the rear band servo. Something like that...if there was some kind of a leak in that servo (it wraps the rear band around an internal part in the trans) it would allow the band to wear quickly, and then you'd have problems. I think (Yeah, I've been thinking too much about this, because I've been waiting for it to finally die, so I can disassemble it and confirm this speculation), I think it slips in reverse, because there's only one oil pump providing hydraulic pressure at 0 MPH (no rear pump participation, since it's driven off the drive shaft.)and the front pump can't keep up with the leak. But, the same part works fine for the 2nd to 3rd shift, (even though it slips if you shift Park to reverse)because at 35 MPH, you have the front pump being driven much faster by the engine, and you have the rear pump being driven off the drive shaft, which is spinning at... 35 MPH. I guess I could try getting to 35 and then shift N to R...I had a safety inspection where the tech doing the inspection took the engine up to about 3000RPM, and shifted Park to reverse...which chirped the tires, and guaranteed I'd not return to them for service...ever. (reverse isn't actually required for motor vehicles here. I looked it up.) I've learned a lot about automatic transmissions from this curiosity/obsession. I suggest http://www.familycar...ransmission.htm if this is making your head hurt. I think it's also helped that shortly after I messed up my trans, I disconnected the throttle from the throttle valve, the one in the transmission (not the one in the carb...) Instead, I rigged a bracket that locks the lever (sticking out of the left side of the trans)in a position that times the 2nd to 3rd gear upshift at 35MPH, no matter what the position of the gas pedal is...that way I can feather the gas so there's not a lot of torque through the transmission at the point where it shifts (yes, it's occasionally annoying to impatient drivers in back...it's an elderly, slow-moving pickup. Texas is full of them.) I'd like to find out how right or wrong all of this is, but I'm not tearing down the trans just because of a little detail like no reverse...and it refuses to die. Any opinions from someone who's actually worked on an A30?

after thinking it over i dont rember ever hearing anything bad about the autos and a welcome to all the new people Hi, I'm brand new here, and don't have a Toyota RV yet, but I do have a '74 Hilux with the auto. It's an Aisin-Warner A30 in the early pickups ('74-'76 or '77?) and the more durable A40 later. I was warned about A30 problems with reverse before I bought this truck, and (based on a very small sample) can confirm this...not that it's entirely the fault of the unit itself. I backed a load of computer parts up and over a sidewalk, but couldn't get a running start because of clearance probs, so I nudged the truck back up to the curb, then floored it until she backed over the curb. Done more intelligently, that's called a stall test, done the way I did it, it resulted in a tranny that slips in reverse. The guys at the trans shop (where it had just been rebuilt) told me that even though it worked OK in fwd speeds, it would eventually slip in D, and further repairs would be needed shortly. I think they knew their stuff, and certainly did a good rebuild, I just abused what is really a light duty automatic. That being said, that was in 1997. Since then she's been up and down SF to Santa Clara lots, and I took her, fully loaded, San Francisco to San Antonio, (that was in 2000) and been driving/hauling frequently since. I just don't use reverse anymore! Henry